This blog is dedicated to the worldwide struggle for freedom, individual liberties, personal autonomy and the right to self-ownership - against any kind of legal paternalism, legal moralism and authoritarianism. Its aim is to post related news and commentary published mainly in the major U.S., European and Greek media. It was created by Prof. Aristides Hatzis of the University of Athens.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

It could have been worse. After a two-year long trial, the organisers of the “Forbidden Art” exhibition in Moscow which infuriated the Orthodox Church could have gone to jail if the prosecutors had it all their way. Instead, Andrei Yerofeev, an art historian and curator of the exhibition and Yuri Samodurov, the director of the Sakharov museum where it was held, were fined 150,000 Roubles and 200,000 Roubles respectively for “inciting religious hatred”. The Economist wrote about this case and the exhibition in print and online.

The face-saving compromise was partly the result of public protest stirred by Russian human rights activists, artists, writers, historians and anyone aware of the dangerous precedent set by this case. Foreign diplomats who talked to the Kremlin behind the scene also played their part. The Russian Minister of Culture intervened saying this was no matter for criminal justice and a spokesman for Kirill, the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church said that a jail sentence would be wrong.

Irgendwann fällt jede Mauer

"Eventually every wall falls"

Self-ownership

The sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinion of others, to do so would be wise, or even right... The only part of the conduct of anyone, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign. John Stuart Mill

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